Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 is a one-component, thixotropic mortar with very low emission of volatile organic compounds (EMICODE EC1 Plus) made from special, highly reactive hydraulic binders, fine selected aggregates, synthetic polyacrylonitrile fibres, synthetic polymers and special admixtures.

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• Features & Benefits
• Recommendations
• Application Procedure
• Application
• Precautions To Be Taken During And After Application
• Cleaning
• Technical Data

Features & Benefits

• After mixing, the product forms a mortar with good workability and with setting and hardening times that can be modulated by adding Mapetard ES
• Applied by trowel in a single layer from 3 to 40 mm thick to repair and smooth over concrete
• Hardens without shrinking and is characterised by its excellent adhesion to concrete substrates

Once hardened, Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 has the following characteristics

• Excellent adhesion to both old concrete (≥ 2 MPa), if wetted beforehand with water, and to steel reinforcement, especially when treated with Mapefer or Mapefer 1K anti-corrosion and re-alkalising cementitious mortar, certified EN 1504-7 “Corrosion protection of reinforcement”
• High dimensional stability and, therefore, low risk of cracking and crazing during both the plastic phase and when hardened
• Thermal compatibility to freeze/thaw cycles, measured as adhesion according to EN 1542
• High resistance to carbonation
• Impermeable to water

Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 complies with the principles defined in EN 1504-9 (“Products and systems for protecting and repairing concrete structures: definitions, requirements, quality control and conformity assessment. General principles for the use of products and systems”) and the minimum requirements of EN 1504-3 (“Structural and non- structural repairs”) for structural R4-class mortars and the requirements of EN 1504-2 coating (C) according to principles MC and IR (“Concrete surface protection systems”).

Recommendations

• Do not add extra water to the mix once it starts to set to make it more workable
• Do not add cement or admixtures, except Mapetard ES
• Do not apply Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 on smooth substrates: roughen surfaces beforehand
• Do not apply Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 on dry substrates
• Do not use Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 for anchoring elements accurately in place (use Mapefill or Mapefill R)
• Do not leave bags of Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 exposed to the sun before use
• Do not use Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 if the temperature is lower than 5°C
• Do not use Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 if the bag is damaged or if it has been opened previously

Application Procedure

Preparation of the substrate

• Remove all deteriorated and loose concrete to form a sound, rough and strong substrate. Any areas previously repaired and which are not perfectly bonded must also be removed
• After preparation, the surface of the substrate must be uneven with irregularities at least 5mm deep
• Remove all dust, rust, cement laitance, grease, oil and old paint from the concrete and reinforcement rods by sandblasting
• Treat reinforcing bars with Mapefer or Mapefer 1K according to the procedure illustrated in the relative data sheet for each product. Before applying Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 wait until Mapefer or Mapefer 1K are completely dry
• Saturate the substrate with water
• Before carrying out repairs with Planitop Smooth & Repair R4, wait until any excess water has evaporated off. If necessary, use compressed air to help remove excess water. The substrate must be saturated with water but with a dry surface (s.s.d.)

Preparation of the mortar

Pour approximately 4 litres of clean water into a container and slowly add a 25 kg bag of Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 while mixing.

Carefully mix the blend for several minutes then remove any powder which has stuck to the sides and bottom of the container.

Add more water to obtain the consistency required without exceeding the recommended amount (approximately 4.1-4.4 litres).

Mix again for several minutes to form a well-blended, plastic, lump-free mix.

To make it easier to form a smooth, even mix, use an immersion mixer or a drill at low speed with a spiral mixing attachment to avoid entraining air into the mix. Mixing by hand is not recommended, more than the recommended amount of water would be required. If manual mixing is unavoidable, use a trowel and press the mortar against the sides of the container to break down all the lumps.

Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 remains workable for approx. 15 minutes at a temperature of 10 to 25°C.

If the workability time of Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 needs to be increased due to specific site requirements or if the weather is particularly hot, the set-retarding admixture Mapetard ES for rapid-setting cementitious mortar may be added to the product.

This special admixture, which may be added at a rate of up to one 0.25 kg canister every 25 kg of Planitop Smooth & Repair R4, allows the already excellent workability time of the mortar to be extended by a further 15-20 minutes.

Due to its plasticising effect, adding Mapetard ES to Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 allows the amount of mixing water to be reduced by 0.2-0.3 litres. In this case, pour approximately 3.7 litres of clean water and a canister of Mapetard ES into a container and slowly add a 25 kg bag of Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 while mixing.

Carefully mix the blend for several minutes then remove any powder which has stuck to the sides and bottom of the container.

Add more water to obtain the consistency required without exceeding the recommended maximum amount of 4.1 litres.

The instructions for the preparation of the mortar to be used for the creation of concrete samples for laboratory tests are reported in the "Technical Data" table.

Application

Apply the mortar with a smooth trowel in a single layer from 3 to 40 mm thick without using formwork.

As soon as the mortar starts to set, tamp the surface with a sponge float. The waiting time required before carrying out this operation depends on surrounding weather conditions. To paint and protect the surface, apply a coat of an elastomeric product from the Elastocolor range or an acrylic product from the Colorite range. The finishes available may be chosen from product’s relative colour chart or from a much wider range of shades available using the ColorMap automatic colouring system.

If the structure to be repaired is subject to high dynamic stress, it may be advantageous to apply a 2 mm thick layer of flexible smoothing and levelling compound such as Mapelastic, Mapelastic Guard or Mapelastic Smart before applying the coloured finish. In such cases, Elastocolor Paint must be used for the coloured finishing coat.

The product is not compatible with rendering machines.

Precautions To Be Taken During And After Application

• Only use bags of Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 to prepare the mortar which have been stored on their original, covered pallets
• In hot weather, store the product in a cool area and use cold water to prepare the mix
• In cold weather, store the product in a closed area and protect from frost. Use warm water to prepare the mortar
• After applying and tamping Planitop Smooth & Repair R4, and particularly in hot or windy weather, we recommend curing the mortar carefully to prevent the mixing water evaporating too quickly, otherwise surface cracks may appear due to plastic shrinkage. Spray water on the surface for at least 24 hours after applying the mortar, or use a special curing agent from the Mapecure range. If a curing agent is applied, make sure that it is removed from the surface by sand- blasting or hydro-blasting before applying any other product, since the curing agent may impede adhesion of successive layers of coating

Cleaning

Wash the mortar from tools before it hardens using water. Once hardened, cleaning is much more difficult and it must be removed mechanically.

Technical Data